Memorial Day 2011 is a United States federal holiday observed
on the last Monday of May (May 30 in 2011). Formerly known as Decoration
Day, it commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in the military
service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil
War. It was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died
in all wars.
Memorial Day often marks the start of the summer vacation season, and Labor Day its end.
Begun as a ritual of remembrance and reconciliation after the Civil
War, by the early 20th century, Memorial Day was an occasion for more
general expressions of memory, as ordinary people visited the graves of
their deceased relatives, whether they had served in the military or
not. It also became a long weekend increasingly devoted to shopping,
family get-togethers, fireworks, trips to the beach, and national media
events such as the Indianapolis 500 auto race, held since 1911 on
Memorial Day.